Flower profile

Arrowleaf balsamroot

Balsamorhiza sagittata

Native in the lower 48

Arrowleaf balsamroot is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

12states

6of our state lists

13,185U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Quick look

Balsamorhiza sagittata is a North American species of flowering plant in the tribe Heliantheae of the family Asteraceae known by the common name arrowleaf balsamroot. Also sometimes called Oregon sunflower or Okanagan Sunflower, it is widespread across western Canada and much of the western United States.
From Wikipedia's article Balsamorhiza sagittata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 12 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Washington, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Nevada. ^NatureServe
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,479 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #75 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,127 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #10 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,959 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #3 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist

Arrowleaf balsamroot gift ideas

Handmade arrowleaf balsamroot gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Arrowleaf balsamroot art print
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Arrowleaf balsamroot greeting card
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Arrowleaf balsamroot mug
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Arrowleaf balsamroot earrings
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Arrowleaf balsamroot embroidery pattern
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Arrowleaf balsamroot sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,618 records)

Bloom time in each of our 6 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Washington	Native	April–June	2,479
Utah	Native	March–June	2,127
Idaho	Native	April–July	1,959
Wyoming	Native	May–July	1,904
Montana	Native	May–July	1,732
Nevada	Native	April–July	639

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records arrowleaf balsamroot in 12 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, Yakima.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Weber.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Butte, Canyon, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Nez Perce, Owyhee, Payette, Shoshone, Twin Falls, Valley.

More Washington flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: May–September

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in WA: June–October

Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in WA: June–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile BASA3.
iNaturalist, Balsamorhiza sagittata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Balsamorhiza sagittata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Balsamorhiza sagittata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Laura Holloway via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.